Telegraph critic William Sitwell likens Shipston’s new housing developments as ‘Vikings ready to lay waste’ to the old town
A WELL-KNOWN restaurant critic may have bitten off more than he can chew by slating Shipston.
William Sitwell, who writes for the Telegraph and is a regular judge on TV’s MasterChef, came to check out The Bower House restaurant.
But although the cooking won top marks, Shipston didn’t fare quite as well in his write-up.
He praises the town centre as ‘pretty, some streets achingly so’ and describes older houses as having ‘quiet grandeur, handsome as a fine prince’.
But then launches a scathing attack on the new housing developments, criticising them as ‘Vikings ready to lay waste’.
And after moaning he had to ‘battle through’ one-way systems to reach the town’s ‘beating, historic heart’ the Eton-educated writer compares Shipston to ‘a mini-Milton Keynes’.
Stephen Hartley of the Shipston Local History Society, said: “He’s obviously never been to Milton Keynes - to compare it with Milton Keynes is very odd.
“Milton Keynes celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017 and is a mid-century town designed for the motor car.”
He added: “Those housing developments towards Chipping Norton and Chipping Campden aren’t visible at all from the main part of town, they’re hidden away and benefit because they bring in new people, new families and new money which helps support local businesses.
“Inevitably, as a town’s population rises it has an impact on surgeries and the school but I don’t think Shipston has lost its character.
“Thank goodness he didn’t go to Wellesbourne or Kineton - they have very quaint centres but are surrounded by a lot of modern houses, far more than Shipston.”
District councillor David Passingham (Shipston South, Green) commented: " As Willian Sitwell says Shipston town centre has managed to retain its character and still has many independent shops. However, it is now threatened by a planning application for an out of town supermarket. Many residents think there are too many new houses for a town the size of Shipston. Although the new developments are complete we are still lacking in the infrastructure to support them."
And Shipston mayor John Dinnnie told the Herald: “It’s wonderfully colourful language and I’m sure he’s writing to entertain the people who read his articles in that newspaper.
“Stratford is a lovely place, it’s a very friendly place and all the people in new houses are very welcome - we are one town.
“Historically we are Saxon rather than Viking but there are no two tribes in the town.”
‘We can’t take any more houses’
MANY residents say they are concerned about the number of new homes coming to Shipston.
Hundreds built in recent years have put a strain on schools and medical services.
An already over-stretched infrastructure is struggling to cope, including the drainage system, leading to sewage spills and floods.
Others worry building sites and new houses are scaring off wildlife and tearing up the countryside.
Last month Shipston resident and emergency services worker Chloe Ostojak, who lives on Oldbutt Road, pointed out that several large housing developments have been built on the edge of the town but facilities are at “an all-time low”.
The high school has no sixth form, Ellen Badger hospital has been demolished, the gym’s overcrowded and there’s just one NHS-run dentist’s and a small doctor’s surgery.
‘Our small and well-loved town centre cannot take the number of residents it has,” she said.
Another resident Jessica Parker commented that each new household owns two cars, traffic jams and problems with parking could worsen.
